SECTION 1: ABSTRACT Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains one of the leading infectious disease killers globally. Multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB), resistant to first-line drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin, is a major contributor to global antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Current surveillance relies on clinical testing, which is limited by inadequate diagnostic infrastructure, healthcare access barriers, and social stigma reducing testing uptake. The project evaluates whether wastewater-based sampling can serve as a scalable, non-invasive interface for detecting rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis through downstream molecular analysis.